Writing Metaphors

"Happiness is a warm puppy."      
~ Charles M. Schulz

1. Watch Charlie Brown and his friends sweetly sing metaphors in their song "Happiness Is...." (The song begins at 1:30.)  

A metaphor, if you need a refresher, is a comparison between two nouns without using "like" or "as." In this assignment, students compare an abstract term with concrete images.

2. Brainstorm words to transform into metaphors. Here is a start: spring, summer, fall, winter, fear, happiness, disgusted, sad, scared, exciting, soft, rough, sweet, salty, fast, noisy, quiet, any color....
                     
3. Allow students the pleasure of writing sensory-rich images for their word(s). Help them, if necessary, by encouraging them "to use color, sounds, actions, and sensations of touch and smell in their metaphors" (Any Child Can Write 76).

Some student examples:

• Noisy is screaming kids in the street playing with their friends.
• Noisy is lions roaring in the zoo because they are mad about being in a cage.
• Red is a yummy Red Delicious apple being cut up and sliced into a pan, cooked for applesauce, and dumped on a cake.
• Red is an enormous firetruck racing down the street to get to a fire.
• Green is a tree that waves as the wind whistles through its leaves.
• Orange is a juicy fruit that when you take a bite it splashes onto your face.

• Autumn is colorful leaves falling to the ground.

If you like pre-writing sheets, here's one.

This idea was prompted by Harvey S. Wiener in Any Child Can Write, 75-77.

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